Earth Day Edition written by the JCC’s Green Team
Have you ever walked into the JCC when all of the lights are off, the heating and cooling systems are not on, and it is still? If you have, you would realize how unusual it is. The JCC is usually buzzing with a lot of energy; that of children playing and older adults having lunch, but also that of the systems that keep it comfortable for us. On this Earth Day we ask you to consider all of the resources necessary to keep our four JCC facilities buzzing.
Every day there are choices about how we utilize the natural resources and protect the earth from more damage, some are easy and others are much harder. From recycling, composting, decreasing our reliance on cars, to exploring alternative energies- we are presented with choice. At the JCC, we asked ourselves, “What can we do as an organization that serves approximately 20,000 members per year and nearly 200,000 square feet of year-round and 30 acres of seasonal facilities to reduce our carbon footprint? Who will make the necessary changes and will it be enough? Why even try when there is so much going on?” Our Center for Loving Kindness encourages us to redefine neighbor from a geographic concept to a moral one, this is also how we think about efforts to reduce our impact on the earth. We are responsible for what we can see and touch, but also what is beyond that.
Over the last 2 years, a Change Team of JCC staff committed to decreasing waste of resources and utilizing more sustainable approaches within our spaces has joined their creative minds and instituted real practices in the effort to “be green.” Here are just a few examples of researched and executed successes that have brought real change to drive the Green Team initiative:
In spring of 2024 composting became a success in our Squirrel Hill building by adding composting bins to decrease the amount of waste in our trash. To date, we have composted 17,810 lbs which takes this trash from the landfill and creates new organic materials for growing. From a greenhouse gas equivalency standpoint, our composting efforts are equivalent to 117 urban tree seedlings grown for 10 years. Our composting efforts are equivalent to not driving 17,667 miles!
- In fall of 2024 we worked with our vending machine vendors on removing all plastic bottles from their inventory.
- In April 2025 we added a dishwasher with reusable plates, cups and utensils in the Squirrel Hill Staff Lounge, taking away the need to scavenge for disposable products. While at a similar time, our South Hills Early Childhood Department added a dishwasher and reusable plates and utensils for students daily use; eliminating on average 780 paper plates and plastic utensils items per day.
- In early 2025, we conducted an audit on trash bags used daily in Squirrel Hill, it was STAGGERING! Over 150 plastic liners were used per day. In May 2025, we launched “Kick the Can”, an initiative for staff to empty their own trash into a larger trash bin to keep their liner in their can as long as possible and eliminate use of so many liners.
This is just the beginning! The Green Team has more goals to meet on the horizon.
We are looking into more ways to increase composting at camps, Clubhouse, Early Childhood in Squirrell Hill, and South Hills programs. We are looking into more recycling initiatives for paper and plastics in our facilities. We are launching a Green campaign to include our membership in pledging their commitment while at our facilities: using our app instead of paper schedules, utilizing more QR codes instead of printing paper and so much more. Some day we dream of being able to run facilities on more renewable energy and using our properties to contribute to greening efforts.
Remembering that every day we have choice. Some of our options to take care of mother earth are hard but many are easy. No matter what choice we make to shift our own behaviors, we can all start with gratitude for all that we have to keep our collective JCC community comfortable, vibrant, and functioning even on days of extreme weather. Join us on this green journey and stay tuned to see more initiatives launching in the near future!
Wishing you a Shabbat shalom,
Francine Cicco, Maggie Feinstein, Sherree Hall, Kelly Hont and Jenna Robbins
